Apparatus for treating hollow articles having one closed end



fl- 1963 w. J. HARPER ETAL 3,

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HOLLOW ARTICLES HAVING om: CLOSED END Filed Aug.25, 1961 4 Shets-Sheet 1 STATION STATI O N INVENTORS Wiliord J. H arperaPaul A. Hauck I M A Oct. 29, 1963 w. J. HARPER ETAL APPARATUS FORTREATING HOLLOW ARTICLES HAVING ONE CLOSED END Filed Aug. 25, 1961 Y 4Sheets-Sheet 2 ,1 III, I,

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INVENTORS Willard J. Harper 8 Paul A. Huuck hwy 6974M ATTORNEXY Oct. 29,1963 w. J. HARPER ETAL 3,108,605

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HOLLOW ARTICLES HAVING ONE CLOSED END Filed Aug.25, 1961 w 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 F IG.3.

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l3u I g I INVENTORS Willard J. Harper 8 Paul A. Huuck 9 JAM ATTORNEYSOct. 29, 1963 w. J. HARPER ETAL 3,103,605

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HOLLOW ARTICLES HAVING ONE CLOSED END Filed Aug.25, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 "iliw' INVENTORS Willard J. Harper 8r Paul A.H auqk war, M

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofitice 3,108,505 Patented Oct. 29, 19633,108,605 APPARATUS FOR TREATING HOLLOW ARTHCLES HAVING ONE CLOSED ENDWillard J. Harper, Middletown, and Paul A. Hauch, Union, N.J., assiguors.to Hanson-Van Winkle-Munning Co., Matawan, N.J., a corporation of NewJersey Filed Aug. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 134,073 Claims. (Cl. 134-44) Thepresent invention relates to Apparatus for Treating Hollow ArticlesHaving One Closed End and more particularly to an apparatus of thecontinuous treatment type in which side arms travel along a line oftreatment tanks or stations in which the treatment tanks are of bothsingle station and multiple station type and in which the side arms havework carriers which carry hollow articles having a closed end in aninverted position with the closed end uppermost and in which the sidearms are lowered toward the treatment tank in a vertical line of motionand in which they are removed from the treatment tank in a similar lineof motion.

The elevating and conveying apparatus employed in connection with thepresent invention does not form any novel part thereof but are wellknown in the article treatment art and may be similar to thatillustrated in the Guerin Todd Patent No. 2,196,131 of April 2, 1940 orthe Arthur Friedman Patent No. 2,461,113 of February 8, 1949.

In the handling of hollow articles having a closed end the art hasheretofore tilted, inclined, or laid on its side the hollow article andintroduced same into the treatment tank. This has resulted in increasingthe tank size, that is, increasing its length and width as well asrequiring more of the treatment solution.

The present invention makes a maximum utilization of plant floor space,tank size and solution quantity by introducing the hollow articlevertically with the closed end up into the treatment solution.

In the embodiment illustrated and described herein by way of exampleonly the hollow article to be treated will be presumed to be introducedinto an acid etch solution, which acid must not be spilled or carriedover into subsequent solution tanks resulting in contamination of thesolutions in the subsequent treatment tanks.

When an inverted hollow article having a closed end is introduced intoan acid solution the acid will only rise inside the container until theair trapped within the container is compressed to its maximum limit atwhich time the article would then float off the carrier but we haveeliminated this hazard by providing a U-shaped carrier in which thearticle to be treated is placed upon the free leg of the U-shaped memberwhich is carried by the side arm of the machine in such a way that theair compressed incident to introduction of the hollow article into theacid solution will escape down the supporting tube up to the carrier armand be vented to atmosphere.

The second problem which confronts one attempting to immerse a hollowarticle vertically into a treatment solution is that once the article istotally immersed in the solution, how can the article be verticallyraised from the solution without causing the contents to be trapped inthe article until the neck or mouth of the article is in contact withatmosphere. This latter problem is overcome by connecting the articlecarrying member to a source of low pressure air which will impart ablowing action which breaks the vacuum in the closed upper end of thehollow article incident to raising of the article with the solutiontherein. This lowpressure air begins to force the solution from theinverted hollow article as the article is being raised from thetreatment solution and once the vacuum seal is broken and the workcarrier arm is vented to atmosphere, air Will replace the solution andthe article will emerge from the treatment solution without a suddendeluge of the acid solution rushing ail about the area possibly gettingin the eyes of machine operators not to mention the spilling of acidabout the premises and on parts of the machine which may be injurious toboth humans and equipment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outinthe claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view showing in cross section a treatmentsolution and the immersion therein of a hollow article having a closedend in an inverted position carried upon a work carrier constructed inaccordance with the present invention and also the emergence of thearticle from such treatment solution in which six stations depict thevarious stages of treatment.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic transverse section having parts broken awayand parts shown in section with a work carrier arm in the lower solidline treatment position and raised to a dashed line upper or removedposition.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a work carrier arm and workcarrier constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the hollow article bottomsupport member.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of a form of cap or seal employed withFIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse elevational view having parts broken away andparts shown in section of a continuous type side arm machine, the sidearms of which are constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, Station A shows an inverted hollow article:10 having a closed end 11 and an open mouth 12. The open mouth 12 isplaced downwardly in such a manner that the closed end or bottom 11rests upon the upper end of a short leg 14 of a generally U- shapedarticle carrier member having a major or longer leg 13. The members 13and 14 are hollow. The upper end of the member 14 has cut-away portionsto permit air to enter and leave the tube 14 when the bottom of thearticle is resting upon the free end of the member 14. As the acidtreatment solution 15 begins to enter the mouth :12 of the hollowarticle 10, the air compressed incident to the article 10 being loweredinto the solution will enter the tube 14 and be vented to atmospherethrough the tube 13 through a hollow side arm to be later described.

Station B shows the hollow article 10 being lowered to treatment levelwhile Station C shows the article completely immersed in the treatmentsolution while undergoing the treatment cycle.

Upon completion of the treatment cycle when the article 10 is to beremoved from the solution as the article is raised in the direction ofthe arrow, the solution within the hollow article 10 will tend to pull avacuum and stay within the container. However, as shown in Station E thehollow tubular members 13 and 14 are connected to a low pressure sourceof air of the order of two or three pounds and that air enters thecontainer breaking the vacuum and commencing forcement of the solutionfrom within the container down into the solution 15 in the treatmenttank as the article and its carrying arms continue to rise.

As shown in Station F once the vacuum has been broken and the interiorof the hollow article 10 has been placed in communication with outsideatmosphere, the weight of the solution pulling down as the containerrises will act as a piston within a cylinder pulling air from the hollowside arm through the article carrier into the hollow article 10 wherebyupon the hollow article 10 being totally removed from the acid treatmentsolution 15 all of the acid solution in the hollow article 10 will havebeen removed without deluging or spilling the acid about the tank.

This cycle is repeated every time the hollow article is introduced intoa solution. It will be appreciated that there may be as many as ten totwenty treatment tanks into which the inverted hollow article must beintroduced in sequence to achieve a particular predetermined internalsurface finish.

One form of machine for carrying out this process may consist of ahollow work carrying side arm 16 having atmosphere openings -17 at oneend and being closed at its ends 18 and 19. The U-shaped hollow articlecarrying members 13 and 14- are in air duct communication with theinterior of the hollow side arm 16 in such a manner that when the sidearm is in the posit-ion shown in FIG- URE 2, the opening 17 will bevented to atmosphere and an air path exists between 14, 13, 16, '17 andatmosphere.

When the hollow article 10 is in the fully immersed position shown inFIGURE 2 with its open mouth directed downwardly and the bottom 1'1 ofthe container riding upon the hollow tube 14 and it is desired toelevate the side arm 16 from the position shown in solid lines in FIG-URE 2 to the chain line position at the upper end of FIGURE 2, apneumatic valve 20 connected to a source of low pressure air by means ofa hose 21 is urged into sealed relationship with the atmosphere opening17 by a ram 22 actuated by a cylinder 23 connected to a higher pressuresource of air 24. The ram 22 of the cylinder 23 has a throw or traveldistance to the point shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, at which timethe hollow article on rising would be at Station E of FIGURE 1, thesolid line position of FIGURE 2 denoting Station C.

Once the vacum has been broken inside the hollow artiole 10 and the ram22 has traveled its maximum distance the work carrier arm 16 willcontinue to rise to the chain line position shown in FIGURE 2 leavingthe atmosphere opening 17 in the open position to permit the air toenter the hollow article and replace the solution being dischargedthrough the mouth of the article incident to its vertical removal fromthe solution as at Station F in FIGURE 1.

As best seen in FIGURE 3 the side arm 16 has two sets of hollow articlecarrier or support rack members 13, 14 from which it will be noted thatclips or guides 13- are provided for steadying the hollow articles onthe shorter inverted tubular members 14.

As shown in FIGURE the upper end of the hollow article support member 14is provided with a cap member 14 having undercut portions 14 to permitair to enter or leave the tube 14 when the bottom 11 of the hollowarticle is resting thereupon.

As shown in FIGURE 6 a pin 14 is provided which mates with an invertedserrated cap 14 which carries a spring loaded valve member 14 forclosing the end of a tubular member 14 upon which a hollow article isnot placed to avoid blowing solution out of the acid treatment tank whenthe low pressure air is applied to the hollow carrier arm 16. This cap14 also prohibits entry of solution into the U-shaped arms 13', 14 whenthe work carrying arm 16 is in its lowermost position and a hollowarticle is fully immersed in a treatment tank as at Station C in FIGURE1.

In FIGURE 7 a conventional return type continuous treatment machine isshown having treatment tanks 25 containing treatment solutions and inwhich the center frame of the machine carries guides 26 within which theside arms 16 are raised and lowered for introducing the hollow articlesinto and out of treatment tanks.

These arms are raised by an elevator mechanism 27 and a conveyor ofknown type advances the arms 16 from one station to another horizontallywhen the arms 16 are in the raised position.

As shown also in FIGURE 7 the machine frame center portion supports thepneumatic valve cylinder 23 for moving the pneumatic valve 20 intoposition against the opening 17 in the side arms as describedhereinabove. There will be a cylinder 23, ram 22 and pneumatic valve 20connected to a low pressure source of air 21 at each treatment stationand the same will be employed wherever the hollow articles 10 are raisedfrom the in-tank or treatment position to the elevated position. Thevalve 20 may be an individual valve for each side arm or the valve 20may be charged from a common manifold, the low pressure supply of whichis controlled by a single valve the opening and closing of which will besynchronized through an elevator control switch.

In operation, referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, inverted hollow articles 10will be racked upon the side arms 16 by inverting the hollow article 10and placing it over the tubular member 14 in such a manner that theinside of the bottom 11 of the hollow article 10 will ride upon the capmember 14 so that a passage of air will exist from the mouth 12 of thecontainer through the opening 14 down the tube 14 to the tube 13 thencethrough the hollow side arm 16 and through the opening 17 to atmosphere.The racked side arm containing the hollow articles to be treated willthen assume the position shown in FIGURE 7. When the elevator 27 lowersthe side arm 16 carrying the articles 10 into the treatment tank as thesolution enters the mouth 12 of the hollow article the air entrapped inthe hollow article as shown at Station A of FIGURE 1 will escape fromthe container via the route described above and the arm 16 will continueto its fully lowered position as depicted in solid lines in FIGURE 2.When the arm 16 is in the fully lowered position a switch will closecausing the ram 22 to urge the pneumatic valve 20 into sealed matingengagement with the opening 17 in the hollow side arm 16.

When the treatment cycle has timed out and the elevator is energized andcommences to rise lifting the side arm 16, the ram 22 will likewiseextend keeping the pneumatic valve 20 tightly against the opening 17 andthe pneumatic valve 2%) will be opened thus passing low pressure airfrom a common source such as a compressor or air reservoir from 21through valve 20 through opening 17 in the hollow arm and thence downthrough the tubular member 13 and up the tubular member 14 as shown atStation E in FIGURE 1 to commence expelling the liquid from within thehollow article as the article is being simultaneously raised by theelevator.

When the elevator has caused the arm 16 to reach the position shown indotted lines in FIGURE 2 the ram 22 will have travelled its maximumdistance and the opening 17 in the hollow arm 16 will then be vented toatmosphere and the two positions shown at Station F in FIG- URE 1, thatis, the solid line position and the dotted line position will beachieved.

When this cycle has been completed, the horizontal conveyor of themachine will then advance the side arm 16 carrying for example fourinverted hollow articles 16 to a subsequent treatment station.

All treatment stations into which hollow articles 10 in an invertedposition are introduced will cause the machine to be operated in themanner described hereinabove and therefore detail has been described forone station only.

Although we have disclosed herein the best form of the invention knownto us at this time, we reserve the right to all such modifications andchanges as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in treating a hollow article having one substantially closedend which must be successively immersed in a series of treatmentsolutions with the closed end up, a machine comprising article carrierarms, means connected to said arms for moving said arms toward and awayfrom a treatment solution, U-shaped hollow members carried by saidcarrier arms and positioned to receive the hollow articles in aninverted position with the bottom up and the interior :of the bottom ofthe hollow article resting upon one leg of said U-shaped hollow member,means connected to said article carrier arms permitting escape of airfrom within the hollow article through said U-shaped hollow members assaid hollow article enters the solution, and means pulse injecting lowpressure air slightly in excess of atmospheric pressure into saidUshaped hollow members upon raising said article carrier arms to upsetthe hydrostatic balance in said U-shaped hollow member to releasetreatment solution from within the hollow article.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said article carrier arms arehollow and in air duct communication with said hollow members.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hollow members are ofU-shape, one leg of said U-shape being of greater length than the otherand said longer member being of a diameter difierent from the shorterleg, said longer member being carried at its upper end by said articlecarrier arms.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means injecting lowpressure air into said hollow members comprises a valve member connectedto a supply of low pressure air, and valve transfer means connected tocause said valve member to remain in contact with said article carrierarms as said arms raise away from the treatment solution to introducelow pressure air into the hollow articles being treated to release thetreatment solution from within the hollow article.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said valve transfer means isa pneumatic cylinder and ram, said valve member being carried by theram.

eierences tilted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS466,680 Harris et a1. Ian. 5, 1892 843,555 Weymar Feb. 5, 1907 1,149,812Doering Aug. 10, 1915 1,202,147 Barnstead Oct. 24, 1916 1,644,388Lindgren Oct. 4, 1927 1,761,450 McKechnie June 3, 1930 1,816,555 WardJuly 28, 1931 2,078,860 Landis Apr. 27, 1937 2,196,131 'Iodd Apr. 2,1940 2,461,113 Friedman Feb. 8, 1949 2,475,407 Sell July 5, 19492,967,120 Chaney Ian. 3, 1961 2,988,095 Sherwood et al. June 13, 1961

1. FOR USE IN TREATING A HOLLOW ARTICLE HAVING ONE SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSEDEND WHICH MUST BE SUCCESSIVELY IMMERSED IN A SERIES OF TREATMENTSOLUTIONS WITH THE CLOSED END UP, MACHINE COMPRISING ARTICLE CARRIEDARMS, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ARMS FOR MOVING SAID ARMS TOWARD AND AWAYFROM A TREATMENT SOLUTION, U-SHAPED HOLLOW MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAIDCARRIER ARMS AND POSITIONED TO RECEIVE THE HOLLOW ARTICLES IN ANINVERTED POSITION WITH THE BOTTOM UP AND THE INTERIOR OF THE BOTTOM OFTHE HOLLOW ARTICLE RESTING UPON ONE LEG OF SAID U-SHAPED HOLLOW